Confined Space

A newsletter of workplace safety and labor issues

Fatalities Weekly Toll

Weekly Toll: Not Coming Home From Work

ByJordan Barab

Jul 24, 2017 , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Worker found dead, pinned in NYC elevator shaft

Weekly TollNEW YORK (AP) — Police say a construction worker was found dead, pinned in an elevator shaft after he returned to his worksite to retrieve something he’d forgotten. Stephen Simpson, 53, a Brooklyn resident, was pronounced dead Sunday after fellow workers discovered his body pinned in the shaft of the 56-story Manhattan luxury building at West 41st Street and Tenth Ave.

Oglethorpe County granite worker killed in quarry fall

Atlanta, GA — A 36-year-old Elberton man was killed Wednesday while working in a granite quarry in Oglethorpe County, authorities said. Oglethorpe County Deputy Coroner Mark Bridges said he couldn’t yet release the man’s name. The fatality occurred shortly after 10 a.m. at the Blue Sky Quarry located off Veribest Road in a northeastern section of the county, according to Bridges. The man was killed when he fell while drilling rock, Bridges said.

Construction Worker Dies In Fall From 4th Floor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A construction worker was killed after falling from the fourth floor of an apartment. Authorities said the incident happened at an apartment building under construction in the 600 block of 11th Avenue North in The Gulch. Reports stated the worker, identified as 42-year-old Fausto Flores, was cutting a wooden rail on the fourth floor when he accidentally lost his balance and fell to the ground below.

Fifth worker dies from injuries in TECO accident

 TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A fifth worker who was injured in an accident at Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Plant has died. BRACE Industrial Group said Thursday that Armando Perez has passed away. BRACE Industrial released the following statement: The accident happened Thursday, June 29. The workers were burned during an accident that happened when they were performing routine maintenance on a slag tank, which houses coal waste after it’s burned.  Slag is a glass-like product that’s formed when coal mixes with water.

Death of 19-year-old firefighter shakes community

MISSOULA, MT —  Many are mourning the loss of a 19-year-old Missoula man who was killed while fighting a wildlands fire near Seeley Lake Wednesday afternoon. Those close to him say the young man was loved and respected by many, and his loss is another reminder just how dangerous firefighting can be. 19-year-old Trenton Johnson was working for Grayback Forestry in Missoula when they were dispatched to help with a fire in the Lolo National Forest. During the fight, he was struck by a fallen tree and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Mississippi Truck Driver Killed in Three Truck Crash in Jefferson County

Ina, IL — State Police say a 49-year-old South Haven, Mississippi truck driver was killed in a chain reaction crash involving three trucks on I-57 near the Ina exit Thursday morning. The victim is identified as Richard Stapleton. He was driving the straight truck that was unable to reduce speed in time to avoid the two other trucks that had reduced their speed for a traffic backup.

Electrical worker killed during utility pole change in Romulus

Romulus, MI — A line worker was apparently electrocuted this morning while changing out a utility pole in Romulus subdivision. Authorities are still trying to piece together exactly what happened shortly after 11 a.m. at Grover and Mary streets, near the intersection of Wick and Wayne roads.  “It was a routine pole change. They were changing out a pole. We don’t know exactly what occurred yet,” Romulus Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Krause said.  Krause said the man, who lived out-of-state, worked for a contractor for DTE Energy, Asplundh Construction.

Streator teen dies in workplace accident

STREATOR, IL — A teenage employee of a Streator trucking company has been killed in a workplace accident. Livingston County Coroner Danny Watson said Hunter Wolfe, 17, of Streator, was killed while collecting product samples from a rail car parked on a track in South Streator. Wolfe was an employee of Luckey Transfer LLC of Streator.“Hunter had climbed the rail car to gain access to the load and somehow got too close to the high tension power lines that run along the tracks,” Watson said. “He was found by fellow employees who were also working at the site.”

Truck driver killed in I-26 crash in Ridgeville

Ridgeville, SC — Officials are investigating a deadly crash on I-26 near mile marker 191 in the Ridgeville/Jedburg area. The South Carolina Highway Patrol reports officers were dispatched at 5:10 a.m. and the roadway was blocked. A 2006 US Foods tractor trailer was the only vehicle involved. Officials say the truck ran off the right side of the interstate and struck the overpass. What caused the crash remains under investigation.

Police: Paving Worker Killed When Hit by Co-Worker’s Truck

BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — State police and federal workplace safety officials are investigating after a Pennsylvania paving worker was reportedly run over by a co-worker and killed. Troopers say 51-year-old Donald Moyers was behind the truck when the co-worker accidentally backed over him about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday. The men were working on an intersection in Jefferson Township, Butler County. Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are investigating. The men worked for Wiest Asphalt Products & Paving.

Tow truck driver killed in crash on I-95 in Baltimore County

Kingsville, MD — A tow truck driver was killed in a car crash on Interstate 95 in Kingsville on Thursday afternoon, Maryland State Police said. The crash happened around 12:30 p.m. on northbound I-95 near Bradshaw Road. The tow truck left the road and struck a tractor-trailer that was disabled on the right shoulder. State police said it wasn’t clear why the tow truck veered off the highway. The tow struck traveled under the tractor-trailer, trapping the driver, while the passenger of the tow truck was ejected.

County employee dies from work injuries

Savannah, GA — John “Tony” Cribbs, 59, of Ellabell died Monday at Memorial Hospital in Savannah. He was injured July 5 during an incident while DPW crews were cutting down trees on Highway 144 near Sweet Hill Road. An excavator operator was attempting to push over a large pine tree while Cribbs was cutting the tree at its base with a chain saw. The report goes on to say that the tree struck Cribbs and he was cut on his upper right leg by the chain saw. The report said Cribbs also sustained injuries to his chest and abdomen.

Dump Truck Driver Killed in Upper Marlboro Crash

Upper Marlboro, MD — The driver of a dump truck was killed Thursday morning after the truck overturned on a Maryland road.  Trashawn Haggins, 28, of Falls Church, Virginia, was driving east on White House Road when she apparently lost control of the truck on a curve and struck a utility pole near Harry S Truman Drive in Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County Police said.

Man dies after barn collapse in Weston​

Weston, OH — Emergency crews were called out to a Weston residence just before noon Tuesday after a report of a large wooden beam that fell on a man. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office reported the man died in the construction accident. The man, reported to be Matthew Heyman, 60, of Grand Rapids, was said to be unresponsive at the scene.

26-year-old fatally electrocuted at Vale mining facility

VALE, Oregon — A young worker was killed in an accident at a mining facility in eastern Oregon Friday.According to the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, 26-year-old Dalton Rodriguez was working on the property of EP Minerals’ plant in Vale when he was electrocuted.Sheriff Brian Wolfe said Rodriguez was changing 30-foot hand aluminum pipes in handline sprinklers when one of the poles came in contact with an overhead power line, electrocuting him.Wolfe said Rodriguez was working for Idaho-based temp agency American Staffing, but could not confirm whether he had been contracted by EP Minerals.

Man killed while working on Kernersville road was intoxicated

Kernersville, NC — A Winston-Salem worker had nearly three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he was crushed by the road grader he was operating, autopsy results revealed. Franklin Odell Hanes II was driving a road grader when it rolled down a hill, flipped over and landed him on Nov. 3, the report said. Hanes, 44, was not wearing a seatbelt and his helmet was found embedded in the ground beside him after the Kernersville accident on the 1200 block of Wilson Heritage Trail.

1 Dead in Farm Fire

TOWNSHEND, Vt. (AP) — Fire officials in Vermont are investigating a barn fire that left one person dead. WCAX-TV reports firefighters responded to the blaze at the Friesians of Majesty horse farm in Townshend early Sunday. Townshend Volunteer Fire Chief Douglas Winot says the barn fire was contained around 6 a.m. Winot says multiple people and horses were rescued from the barn, but one farm employee died in the blaze.

By Jordan Barab

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